Interlude at a Cheap Motel Mutatis Mutandis
by N2
Summary: A respite of sorts.
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer:** All characters in the following fic are property of Marvel and are used without permission for entertainment, not profit. 

**Author's Notes:** This is of course part of Mutatis Mutandis, which if you haven't been paying attention is being archived at www.originofspecies.cjb.net This story takes place after 'Home Sweet Home' and about the same time as the third and final chapter of 'Awakening.' You can see where the two converge quite easily I think. A big 'thank you' to the people who've been reading this monster since Day One… I promise soon all points will converge and the timeline will become an actual LINE. Feedback is appreciated, unless it's a plea to make this a Remy/Rogue as I find their relationship to be mutually abusive and done to death. 

**Interlude at a Cheap Motel **

By N 

The duty clerk at the Sunshine Motel was paid to do his job, not to ask questions. He had an idea of what went on in the rooms: hookers, dealers, and scumbags hiding from the law. The group who'd come in earlier were real weird though… a bunch of kids. He was curious but… none of his business. 

_Hope they're not in any trouble_, the duty clerk thought before tuning in to a rerun of 'Night Court.' 

Outside, a pale white moth banged incessantly against the window, demanding entry. 

* * * 

"The beds vibrate?" Scott looked at Jean, eyebrows arched in bewilderment, and she nodded in reply. 

"Sweet!" Lance whooped enthusiastically and pushed his way past the two senior X-Men to throw himself on one of the beds, digging through his pockets for spare change immediately upon landing. 

"The beds vibrate," Scott repeated, apparently trying to get his mind around the fact. 

"Yes, Scott," Jena said and placed a hand on his shoulder as though to steady him. 

"Hey Kitty, c'mere," Lance cajoled as he plunked quarters into the slot by the bed's headboard. 

"Ew, Lance, no. That's like, totally gross," Kitty Pryde replied, trying to remember she was mad at Lance. She forgot her anger and started giggling when the bed suddenly lurched into life, shaking and emitting a harsh broken-lawnmower sound. 

"The beds vibrate," Scott said once more. He sounded resigned. Jean patted his shoulder and then walked across the hotel room to the bolted-down television. Kitty accompanied her but was promptly hauled onto the convulsing bed as soon as she got within Lance's snagging reach. She squealed in protest but in a matter of seconds both she and Lance wound up laughing hysterically as the bed tried desperately to jitter across the floor. 

"Oh man," Lance exclaimed. "If I fucked on this thing, I think I'd hurl." 

"Charming," Jean muttered as she turned on the television. 

Scott meanwhile took a seat in one of the uncomfortable chairs provided near the door and stared at a horrible watercolor painting of water-lilies. It was, he noticed with some amusement, nailed to the wall to discourage thieves. _Not that any self-respecting thief would steal that piece of crap_, Scott mused. 

After the startling rebuff by the New Recruits, the X-Men, with the Brotherhood in tow, had proceeded to the cheapest, most low-profile hotel in the area. The professor desperately needed some time to recover, both from his imprisonment and also from the shock of having his students turn against him. He blamed himself, Scott knew, and there were no words that would console him. 

So much loss, so much pain, Scott thought as Lance tried to pop more quarters into the Amazing Vibrating Bed despite Jean's very vocal protests that it made too much noise. Blood has been shed. And for what? So we can hide? 

Scott became aware that Lance and Kitty had stopped messing around and were watching the television screen over Jeans' shoulder with solemn expressions. _They look like children_, Scott thought, surprised. _They are children, really._

_So are you._

He stood and crossed to a point in the room where he too could view the flickering screen. It was a news broadcast, and a clean-cut man with a square jaw and nearly invisible eyebrows was reading from achingly white papers. 

"…as Senators lobby for mandatory mutant registration. Leading the charge against the 'mutant menace' is Senator Hull, who likens the registration of mutants to the registration of firearms…" 

"Fuck me, what now?" Lance muttered. The newscast cut to a grainy shot of the Senator in question at a press conference. He was tall and proud against the backdrop of the American flag, his face determined and his voice commanding. The perfect hero. 

"…and it is our duty as Americans to protect our children, and our children's children! We cannot allow dangerous weapons to go undetected when the safety of our families is at stake…" 

The crowd swarmed at the base of the podium, an excited babble of voices asking to be told what they needed so desperately to hear. Scott looked away, his throat suddenly tight. 

"Turn it off," he said. 

Jean paused, but then did as he asked. Scott was grateful; he'd half expected her to tell him that as leader it was his duty to remain informed on "the mutant situation." In a way he was ashamed that he wasn't doing just that, but… it was too much. Right now it was simply too much. 

* * * 

In a room two doors down, Charles Xavier sat watching the same news broadcast. Ororo Munroe sat beside him; her hands clenched into tight fists in her lap and her mouth a thin, bitter line. 

"The great folly of mankind," Xavier said as the broadcast turned to information on a Canadian premier being arrested for drunk driving, "is his tendency to strike without information." 

"Agreed," Ororo said softly. She sighed. "You should get some rest, Professor." 

"Yes." Xavier remained motionless however, his eyes distant and musing. "Ororo… I cannot shake the feeling that all we have undergone is merely the beginning. There is some dark threat poised on the horizon, and I fear its shadow will consume us all." 

Disturbed, Storm patted the Professor's shoulder gently. "Rest, Charles," she said, and took her leave. 

It was a long time before Xavier found he could sleep. 

* * * 

Rogue, by nature of her mutant powers, was not a bed-sharing person. She lay in her rented single bed, doing her best to ignore the voices clanging through her head like church bells. 

The blood in her veins was tainted with hatred. She could feel it singing through her body, making her clench her fists, twist her eyes shut against the tears that wanted to fall. There had been so much poison inside that woman… inside her mother. And now it was all hers. Rogue buried her face in her pillow and screamed silently, her voice lost in an emotional storm. 

_GetitoutgetitoutgetouttamahHEAD…_

Exhausted, confused and nauseous from emotions that were not entirely her own, Rogue stumbled out of bed and f\to the bathroom. She fell to her knees, banging them painfully on the warped linoleum. Her hands found the porcelain rim of the toilet and she steadied herself as she threw up a foul, clear liquid. She hadn't eaten all day and there was nothing in her stomach. She dry-heaved twice, and then flushed the smell away. She put her forehead against the cool tile of the floor and wept slowly, her body shaking and her extremities numb. 

_Things will get better. They HAVE to._

* * * 

The moth continued to bang on the window. It had no thoughts save the desire to burn itself away in the bright, holy light being cast from inside. 

End Interlude 


	2. Part Two

**Disclaimer:** We all know the drill; these characters belong to Marvel, who also owns a large factory that produces smelly cheese. 

**Author Notes:** Okay so you may be wondering why there is a second part to the Interlude written by N? Mainly for the fact that I wanted to tie up some loose end before we got the rest of the whole X-men vs Acolytes thing going. Those loose ends being Amanda, and I wanted to start up the Wanda/Rogue friendship, seeing how Rogue just lost like her only close female friend. This way her and Wanda can chat about make-up tips and bad goth bands….. 

(**N's Note:** I LIKE bad goth bands. You'll pry my copy of "a slight case of overbombing" from my cold, dead hands.) 

Interlude at a Cheap Motel   
Part 2   
By starched_undergarments 

_Thoughts   
Eyes   
Hopes   
Dreams_   
She could see it all, laid out before her - a long road of emotional journeys. Secrets long buried whirled past her closed eyes and feelings of intense pain   
_Joy   
Fear   
Lust _   
stretched and reached out to her. 

"Rogue…" 

She stirred, her eyes fluttering, the images blending and swarming together, the feelings dissipating slowly back into darkness. 

"Rogue." 

Her eyes opened and her head ached. She coughed and dragged her body up into a sitting position. She looked up, expecting to see Scott or perhaps even the Professor himself, but she was met with the harsh cold eyes of the Scarlet Witch. 

"You're name is Rogue, right?" she asked. Rogue nodded and coughed again. The vile taste of her own vomit still in her mouth - a quick look around confirmed that she was still in the bathroom. 

"You fell asleep," Wanda said, studying the other girl with some interest. 

"Or something lahk that…" Rogue muttered and tried to stand. She wobbled and took hold of the cracked sink, steadying herself. She fell back to the floor, shaking from the cold as well as the painful memories that she had been swimming in. 

It was still dark out, probably very early in the morning she guessed. Wanda sat on the dirty tile floor, directly across from Rogue, her dark blue eyes glowing with intensity. 

"Can Ah help you?" Rogue asked coldly, not liking the way the she was being stared at. The Scarlet Witch said nothing at first, but then slid across the floor towards her, her hands outstretched. 

"Are you in pain?" she asked quietly, her eyes searching for something in Rogue's. 

Why lie? "Yes," she said, staring into those midnight blue depths. 

"So am I." Wanda's gloved hand reached out, barley brushing Rogue's pale cheek. 

Rogue felt tears slide down her face, hot and bitter. She opened her eyes to find that the other girl was crying as well. 

"Mystique is mah mother," she whispered hoarsely, and the other girl nodded. 

"Magneto is my father." 

"Ah hate her so much." 

Wanda nodded and ran her hand through Rogue's soft hair, their eyes still locked. 

"It hurts," she whispered and the other girl nodded, drawing her towards her. Rogue could feel herself slid forward, her soul aching as she embraced her supposed enemy. 

In the quiet hours before dawn the two young girls sat there on the cold floor, holding each other, and their hearts, together. 

*** 

He knew he shouldn't be doing it, knew that if he was caught by his other teammates or anyone else trouble would be the result. Yet he had to, felt that if he didn't then some part of him would always regret, always hate himself for not putting things to rest. 

Carefully he crept forward out of the bushes, his ears pricking up at the slightest noise. It was dark, close to three in the morning, and here he was prowling around in the bushes outside his girlfriend's house like a cat burglar or a peeping tom. 

After a quick glance around Kurt snuck over to the side of the house, picking up a small stone he tossed it up at the second floor bedroom window. At first there was no response but then it opened and Amanda stuck her head out, her hair tousled. 

"Amanda!" he hissed, "down here!" 

She looked down and her face immediately changed from dazed to excited. She pulled her robe tighter to her and waved down at him. 

"Kurt! Hi! What are you doing here?" She giggled, "Is this some sort of romantic Romeo and Juliet kind of thing?" 

"I need to talk to you," he whispered back a little impatiently, "Come down to your back yard." 

She nodded and closed the window, entering the back yard only moments later. He hugged her briefly and then led her over to a row of bushes, pulling her down into a stoop. 

"Where have you been?" she asked him excitedly, "When I saw that news report I got so worried!" She touched his blue face tenderly. "Are you okay?" 

"_Ja_, I'm fine, a lot has happened. Too much to really go into detail but I needed to see you, before….I mean, I needed to tell you…" He paused, looking into her soft hazel eyes. "Zat I can't see you anymore," he finished, casting his eyes downward. He could almost feel the hurt in her eyes, the accusing look of confusion and pain. She took his hand in hers and he could feel her trying not to cry, trying to understand. 

"Why?" She whispered and he hated what he was doing, hated how he was hurting her. 

Sighing, he embraced her. "Those people on the news, they were trying to kill us, all of us. And…and the institute has been destroyed so we might be leaving, going who knows where. But most of all, having been through all of this before I've realized zat…I couldn't bear the thought of you getting hurt because of me, because of vhat I am." 

"But Kurt!" 

"No Amanda," he said firmly, "all my life I've run from people like this, people who are scared, people who hate me just because of the way I look. I am a mutant, and right now there are millions of people who don't understand and think we are a threat, the enemy. I don't want you to get hurt just because of me." 

He kissed her cheek softly, tasting the salty waves of her tears. 

"I vill always be grateful that I met you. You've shown me that there are people out there who do accept us, who do understand." 

She nodded, defeated yet understanding his reasons. 

"Goodbye Amadna, thank you for everything." 

"Goodbye Kurt. Stay safe, my blue boy." 

*** 

Upon arrival back at the hotel Kurt noticed that for five in the morning the rooms seemed to be very well lit and full of unusual activity. He crept in slowly only to find everyone preparing to leave, their faces worried and anxious. 

"Vhat's going on?" He asked, Wolverine glanced at him, pulling his mask into place. 

"Hope you're done your goodbyes elf, because we gotta go. Suit up. Magneto's on the move." 

*** 

End Interlude Part 2 

Next... The X-Men VS The Acolytes! 


End file.
